Exercise calories? Again? WTF
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This is great, answered most of my questions, thanks!0
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This has the best info I have seen yet. Thank you so much.
I want to make sure I am doing this right... I just restarted on MFP last week. I put my weight in and said I was basically sedentary because of my desk job. It's telling me that in order to lose 2lbs a week then my caloric intake should be no more than 1270 a day. I have also noticed that the calories burned for cardio exercises are way over what my HRM tells me I burn.
I usually work out on an elliptical machine that I put in my weight and age and it tracks my calories burned based on the HRM on the machine. It is saying that I am burning 533 calories on a 50 minute workout. I am trying to work out at least 5 times a week.
Question 1 - should I be eating all of those calories back?
question 2 - should I trust the machine or should I use my own HRM for calories I've burned?
Desk job =/= sedentary. The classifications of MFP are understated imo. I would set yourself to lightly active. I would use your HRM for your caloric burn and eat say 75% of them back (to account for any inaccuracies).
See what your results are over a 4 week period (your initial losses will be mainly water and food weight so needs to be ignored when looking at trend) and then see if you are losing at a predicted rate. If you are losing too quickly, eat more of your exercise calories back, if too slow, then eat less of them back. I would not look to go lower than eating 50% of them back unless its obvious from the trend that you are not losing much at all. Make sure you log accurately and weigh your food where possible.
Thank you so much. This really helps a lot. I noticed there is about 100 calorie difference between my HRM and the machines, I will start using mine from here on out or adjust accordingly. I have reset my MFP to lightly active and will go from there. This is more of a lifestyle change for me than just a diet. I want to get it right at the start so I don't gain back what I am losing.
Another question, as you can see I have A LOT of weight to lose, should I start incorporating weight/strength training yet or should I continue with just the cardio for now?
For someone with a significant amount of weight to lose, I would suggest a more circuit style resistance training routine. It will get you used to the weight room if you are not already used to it also. A circuit would be where you use resistance but keep up a fast pace (within reason) with low rest times and higher reps and move quickly (also within reason) between exercises. You generally do one set of one, move to another, do one set of those, move to another, and so on. When you have completed that circuit, you repeat (or pass out, as the case may be). Most of the DVDs out there are also similar in that they keep a fast pace and so would also be beneficial if you do not have access or do not want to go to a gym. As you lose weight, then moving towards a more 'standard' resistance training routine that includes progressive loading would be beneficial.
I currently belong to the YMCA, but if you have a DVD that you could recommend I would really appreciate it. I currently have a bunch of Turbo Jam Videos. I wanted to try the Insanity videos, but didn't know if I was ready for that yet. Not sure if I'm ready for public classes yet. :bigsmile:
I am not that familiar with the different DVDs available as I have never done them. Which ones are best for you would depend on the equipment you have available and what you enjoy.0 -
thanks so much to the OP re: the MFP calories vs TDEE. Extremely helpful
My question is also about HRMs and FitBit. Would love to have someone (or some folks) check me on this.
I live in NYC -- so walk a lot due to subway, but do have a desk job. Have set MFP profile on lightly active as per OP reco.
I wear a FitBit that is synced to MFP. I work out 4-5 x per week in a mix of Spinning, Hot Yoga, and weight training with a trainer. For the workouts, I always wear a HRM and then load the stats into my Fitbit dashboard, which then syncs with MFP.
Given the thread within this topic re: HRM for cardio only, and the POV re: weight lifting and HRM accuracy -- would you say the above process that I am doing is right? Or am I over indexing on calories burned?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.0 -
Thank you. This explains the discrepancy between MFP & the TDEE calculator I just used.0
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I'd like to stay below a 600 calorie deficit for my BMR's sake. In saying this, I had previously been overestimating my weight lifting calories immensely - thinking I'd burn 400 calories in an hour when it most likely was 100-150. My former problem had been consuming more calories than I had burned, thus shortening my deficit to cause a slower progress. Now that I've recognized my error and only use my HRM for cardio only (or if used for weightlifting, only account for a 1/4th of what I burned), I wanted to see if I fully understand this and if it's really all as basic as it seems.
I wear a HRM when lifting weights (the majority of my workouts) and have been relying on the numbers it gives me. By reading the above comment, I am assuming that the numbers are incorrect for my lifting workouts. Is this true and why is it so? I usually burn around 200-250 for an hours workout (up around 300 when I do a big leg workout). Why would the HRM be accurate for a cardio workout but not a weight workout?
Because lifting raises your heart rate without the commensurate energy expenditure that you get with cardio.
This thread is hugely useful, so thanks to all for creating and contributing.
This bit interests me especially, as I was beginning to lift prior to Christmas, and will be continuing again now that I have finished a course of meds which really didn't agree with exercise.
In my case, I think I really do need to look into the calories I log. I've been eating back everything from both cardio and lifting. I'm comfortable with eating back what my HRM stats from Cardio, but this raises serious questions about eating back my lifting cals. Often, after a lifting session in he gym (with 10 min cardio warm up) I find my HRM says I have done 6-700 CALs, which I had previously been eating back.
Sounds like this is drastically overstated, which I will need to address, as well as address how much I log when I do bodyweight exercises.
Really helpful - thanks guys!0 -
I'd like to stay below a 600 calorie deficit for my BMR's sake. In saying this, I had previously been overestimating my weight lifting calories immensely - thinking I'd burn 400 calories in an hour when it most likely was 100-150. My former problem had been consuming more calories than I had burned, thus shortening my deficit to cause a slower progress. Now that I've recognized my error and only use my HRM for cardio only (or if used for weightlifting, only account for a 1/4th of what I burned), I wanted to see if I fully understand this and if it's really all as basic as it seems.
I wear a HRM when lifting weights (the majority of my workouts) and have been relying on the numbers it gives me. By reading the above comment, I am assuming that the numbers are incorrect for my lifting workouts. Is this true and why is it so? I usually burn around 200-250 for an hours workout (up around 300 when I do a big leg workout). Why would the HRM be accurate for a cardio workout but not a weight workout?
Because lifting raises your heart rate without the commensurate energy expenditure that you get with cardio.
This thread is hugely useful, so thanks to all for creating and contributing.
This bit interests me especially, as I was beginning to lift prior to Christmas, and will be continuing again now that I have finished a course of meds which really didn't agree with exercise.
In my case, I think I really do need to look into the calories I log. I've been eating back everything from both cardio and lifting. I'm comfortable with eating back what my HRM stats from Cardio, but this raises serious questions about eating back my lifting cals. Often, after a lifting session in he gym (with 10 min cardio warm up) I find my HRM says I have done 6-700 CALs, which I had previously been eating back.
Sounds like this is drastically overstated, which I will need to address, as well as address how much I log when I do bodyweight exercises.
Really helpful - thanks guys!
Just a reminder regarding the above: As long as you're paying attention to your intake over the course of time, and your rate of change of bodyweight, and overall activity, you should be able to determine whether or not you are overestimating expenditure from weight training. So in other words, let your results dictate that.0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.0
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Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?
Honestly, I'm not really sure that I have. I've fluctuated between 262/3 and 277 for the last I don't even know how long. So I really can't answer that effectively. And my current weight is about 262 pounds.0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?
Honestly, I'm not really sure that I have. I've fluctuated between 262/3 and 277 for the last I don't even know how long. So I really can't answer that effectively. And my current weight is about 262 pounds.
Do you know what your average caloric intake has been over the past few weeks and do you use a food scale?0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?
Honestly, I'm not really sure that I have. I've fluctuated between 262/3 and 277 for the last I don't even know how long. So I really can't answer that effectively. And my current weight is about 262 pounds.
Do you know what your average caloric intake has been over the past few weeks and do you use a food scale?
Well I'd have to say between 14-1600 calories net(using the MFP numbers calories in - calories burned. And yes, I use a food scale as much as humanly possible.0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?
Honestly, I'm not really sure that I have. I've fluctuated between 262/3 and 277 for the last I don't even know how long. So I really can't answer that effectively. And my current weight is about 262 pounds.
Do you know what your average caloric intake has been over the past few weeks and do you use a food scale?
Well I'd have to say between 14-1600 calories net(using the MFP numbers calories in - calories burned. And yes, I use a food scale as much as humanly possible.
What about gross intake?
Can you set your diary to public?0 -
Ok just another person in the dark here lol. So I've always wondered if I was eating too little calories, so I decided to do some spelunking on here. So using the TDEE method I saw from the the one post. I've estimated that I've eaten about 1900 calories a day so far in my lifestyle change. So 1900 X 7 days X 115 weeks = 1,529,500 calories. Then my weight loss: 140 pounds X 3500 calories = 490,000 calories. I add those two together and divide by 802 days and my TDEE is 2518 calories. So if I take a 30% cut because of my more than likely high body fat %, that brings my goal down to 1763 calories. Does that mean I should be eating 1763 calories a day based on my basic understanding of the topic. And say for instance, I burn 400 calories at the gym one day, do I eat back those 400 calories so that I end up at 1763 again? Any advice or further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I've lost 140 pounds so far and I have another 60-70 pounds left to lose. I'm really trying hard to understand my body more and make sure I'm giving it all the proper nutrition I need to stay healthy and lose the rest of me lol.
I'd instead ask you this:
What is your current weight, and in the past 8 weeks how much weight have you lost in total?
How do you feel as far as your satiety and exercise performance at your current calorie intake?
Honestly, I'm not really sure that I have. I've fluctuated between 262/3 and 277 for the last I don't even know how long. So I really can't answer that effectively. And my current weight is about 262 pounds.
Do you know what your average caloric intake has been over the past few weeks and do you use a food scale?
Well I'd have to say between 14-1600 calories net(using the MFP numbers calories in - calories burned. And yes, I use a food scale as much as humanly possible.
What about gross intake?
Can you set your diary to public?
Ok, it's public and as far as gross intake maybe 1700 or so.0 -
Thanks, PMing you.0
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Thank you0
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Shabam !1
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Thank you!0
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Awesome!!0
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Great post. BUMP0
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Great post!0
